Aideen Ruan, though a royal princess, was always unwanted due to the circumstances of her birth. Born blind to a hostage concubine, she possessed an intriguing beauty; however, her disability rendered her utterly useless to the royal family. Even when the struggling Count Crueder reluctantly agreed to take Aideen as his wife to secure the royal dowry, her life failed to improve. A year into their marriage, Aideen's inability to produce an heir sealed her fate. The princess was destined for exile to the Temple, consigned to spend the remainder of her days in isolation and abandonment. Contrary to her anticipations, instead of the Temple, Aideen found herself within the cold walls of Duke Tillian Valentine's castle. Duke Valentine, the last scion of the once-revered Valentine family that ruled the Kingdom before the "Fratricide Rebellion", now presided over the desolate Northern lands. Faced with fear and confusion, Aideen expected her life to perpetuate its cycle of misery, only to discover that Duke Valentine might hold the key to a new opportunity, a chance at a life she had never envisioned. "You bewitched my body and soul. Put an intoxicating spell on me, shackled my heart to yours with your magic. If I could exchange my eyesight with you, I would do it just to make you see what a man dying from love looks like."
Sir Stanis placed a neat, white envelope bearing the scarlet royal seal on the desk in front of Tillian. He hid his hands behind his back, and his scarred face deformed into a wide grin.
"Our messenger was turned away because the King's messenger was already en route here. This is the official invitation to visit the Capital and the Royal Palace."
The duke deftly opened the envelope with a sharp silver letter opener. He quickly scanned the letter's contents and tossed it back onto the desk, stretching his lips into a smug grin as well.
"It appears Count Crueder has already conferred with the King. Our modest delivery certainly stirred up some nerves."